#CyberFLASH: Social media powerful tool for terrorists, expert warns

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Thursday he “looks forward” to talking to RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, after Paulson this week warned that online privacy laws are seriously obstructing the fight against runaway cyber crime.

“He and I have not had the chance to have this conversation yet and I’m looking forward to hearing the elaboration of his views,” Goodale said Thursday. “This issue has presented difficulties in the past, some very high-profile ones.”

Goodale, who is politically responsible for the Mounties, made the remark after spending nearly two hours sitting in the audience at a panel discussion on counter-terrorism at a Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries conference in Ottawa.

A day earlier, in an address to the same gathering, Paulson said rocketing Internet crime, combined with laws restricting police online criminal investigations, means people should avoid the Internet or use it knowing the potential risks.

“And if something bad happens, hopefully we’ll be able to help you, but there’s no guarantee,” he said.